


Breathe Me In, Breathe Me Out

by lemonysharkbait



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: (kinda), (sorta - it's hard to explain), Adult Content, Alternate Universe - Space, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blood, Dubious Consent, Group Sex, I make up how space works, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Recreational Drug Use, poor he tian, rich guan shan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:00:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24711238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonysharkbait/pseuds/lemonysharkbait
Summary: He Tian registered two things: one, he was gawking, and two, the leader of the most powerful crime syndicate this side of the Mississippi was asking him a question.The mob boss stepped closer, his hair catching a purple light, and He Tian listened this time.“Are you stupid? I asked who the fuck are you?” Mo Guan Shan’s hand was fisted in He Tian’s shirt, his lips snarled up in a characteristic snear. All the underworld knew that snarl. This close, the gold glint of Guan Shan’s upper lip frenulum piercing winked at him.
Relationships: He Tian & Mo Guanshan (19 Days)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 62





	Breathe Me In, Breathe Me Out

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off a discussion that happened forever ago about a family background switch au. @i-got-these-words made a beautiful edit for it and I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so, here we are. I don't know what happened but I wrote this like a woman possessed. It's still not finished but I got to a point where I just needed to post what I did work on. So here we are! Do with this what you may, it's kinda a mess but it was a fun mess to write!
> 
> Here's the post that inspired this all: https://i-got-these-words.tumblr.com/post/189937745006/hi-babe-crazy-au-idea-family-background-switch

“Your payment is late again He Tian.” 

The first thing He Tian noticed when he walked past the threshold into the dim entrance of his apartment is that Bone’s cologne reeks. It will linger even after the loan shark leaves. 

“Hello Bone.” He Tian sets his keys in the chipped bowl at the entrance of his apartment. He can see the back of the bald man’s head. Bone doesn’t bother turning to look at He Tian. He’s sitting at the flimsy fold-up table that serves as the kitchen table. The small metal folding chair strains under Bone’s girth. 

“Tea?” He Tian sets the kettle on the stove. 

“Funny, I haven’t seen the money I’m owed yet you can still afford  _ tea _ .”

“It’s the good stuff too, from one of those fancy grocery stores on the nice side of town.” 

Bone stands up suddenly, sending the metal folding chair skidding. “I’m not in the mood for a friendly chat, He Tian.” 

“And I wasn’t in the mood to find you in my kitchen, but here we are–” The words are barely out of He Tian’s mouth before Bone’s meaty palm is wrapped around He Tian’s throat. The impact against the cabinets has He Tian seeing stars. 

“I’ve been very patient with you, little pickpocket. But you’ve been past due for a month now and I’ve come to collect.” 

He Tian worked words out around the crushing pressure on his windpipe. Distantly, he could hear the tea kettle starting to whistle. “Sorry, but I think my bank funds will disappoint.”

Bone squeezed harder. “Don’t worry, I already found your little nest egg. You and your brother have squirreled away  _ quite _ the pile of credits.” 

He Tian’s stomach sinks. The tea kettle whistles at an alarming pitch. 

“Lucky for you, I’m feeling charitable today.” 

When Bone releases his grip He Tian stumbles, arms flailing and throat gulping in ugly sounding gasps of air. 

“I’ve got one job for you, pickpocket.” Bone lights a cigarette.  _ One of my cigarettes _ , He Tian notices. 

On shaking legs, he pulls himself up and switches off the stove. 

“What’s the catch.” 

Bone takes a long drag. “I need you to steal a wallet from a clairvoyant. The Mad Dog.”

* * *

He didn’t grow up  _ that _ poor. Sure, him and his brother had missed more than a few rent payments in their lives. The power had been switched off that one time. And the creditors. Nothing the He brothers couldn’t handle though.

What He Tian didn’t know, didn’t know until this very minute, is that wealth could be obscene. He didn’t know that until the Mad Dog pushed past and He Tian brushed fingers over his wallet, snagging it with ease.

There was a lot more he could have pocketed, starting with the heavy gold watch, the diamond encrusted bracelets and moving down to delicate fingers heavy with rings. Cruising back up the body saddled with wealth, there was a waif necklace holding a deep green jewel right in the hollow of his neck. One ear held several gold loops, the other had one dangling chain with a bright pink stone. It all clashed in a carefully arranged cacophony. 

He Tian registered two things: one, he was gawking, and two, the leader of the most powerful crime syndicate this side of the Mississippi was asking him a question.

The mob boss stepped closer, his hair catching a purple light, and He Tian listened this time.

“Are you stupid?  _ I asked who the fuck are you _ ?” Mo Guan Shan’s hand was fisted in He Tian’s shirt, his lips snarled up in a characteristic snear. All the underworld knew that snarl. This close, the gold glint of Guan Shan’s upper lip frenulum piercing winked at him. 

The closeness was over quicker than it started. Guan Shan released He Tian as though burned, a slight look of shock in his eyes. And then the dogs of war were around He Tian, shuffling him out of the crowded party and into a quiet side room. Party goers playing on their phones scattered from the room without a word. 

Wood floors met He Tian’s knees as he was unceremoniously dumped into a bedroom. The men who had materialized to do Guan Shan’s bidding must have been the infamous Hell Hounds. Deeply loyal and just as crazed as their master: the Mad Dog.

Mo Guan Shan was a good head shorter than everyone else, including He Tian, but he commanded the room with absolute authority. 

The Mad Dog might be innumerably prettier than Bone, but right now, He Tian feared the bejeweled man in front of him more than he would ever fear Bone.

Rough hands ran through his pockets, his shirt, yanking away pilfered cash, watches, wallets and phones. It was a haul that would have fed him for months. Now it was gone, pilled in the middle of the floor in front of him, the snarling gang of devotees surrounding him. 

It was easy enough being a pickpocket in the crowds. But lately He Tian had been able to slip into parties as a waiter or caterer or some other menial job, change clothes, and talk his way through a night of pick pocketing the rich blind. And it shouldn’t have been any different with Mo Guan Shan. The bump was nothing more than passing in a crowded room. There was no way the man should have been alerted. But like they said, he had the  _ knowing _ . The stories said he knew events before they happened. They said he knew your thoughts. Knew your next move. Said he was impossible to touch. 

Well, He Tian had gotten as far as taking his wallet. So he couldn’t know  _ everything _ . 

“Who are you with?” Guan Shan was blunt. His legendary katana tapping on his shoulder. The weapon from another dimension. It could materialize at his will and slip back to wherever it was from at his command. It’s what gave him his knowing. It’s what made him untouchable. Right now, it glinted bright in the low light. 

He Tian flashed his best grin “Kind of a personal question to ask before you even know my name.”

Guan Shan snarled harder, obviously not use to jokes from strangers. He turned to a man with short-shorn hair, tired lines around his eyes and dark jewels on every available space of skin. Grey, his longtime second in command. 

Without any words exchanged, Grey seemed to know what Guan Shan was after. “According to his wallet, he’s Handler McCall, an alias. Nobody here knows who he is. Looks like he’s a simple pickpocket.” 

“A little harsh–” He Tian shut up when a boot connected with his ribs.

He had known it was stupid to take on this job, but now it was sinking in just how fucked he was. 

“What would you like done with him?”

Guan Shan’s sneer is centered at He Tian for a moment, weighing something. Copper eyes meet slate gray. He Tian notices his incisors are filed to sharp points.

“Bring him up in the ship. We’re leaving.”

* * *

He Tian can’t fathom how he’s not yet cut up into little pieces and tossed to the gators in the swamps of Hourston. The ship, legendary Cerberus, is parked in a marshy mess of bracken. Birds wade slowly on long legs, frogs croke in the summer heat and the water is foamy and green. The city looms in the distance. 

By now, Mo Guan Shan could have easily dispatched He Tian in a quiet alley. Sharp knife pressed to his throat. Minutes to pray for penance. Days to be food for the rats. 

If they didn’t want to go through the trouble of murder, beating him within an inch of his life was another viable option. A cracked jaw and coughing up blood for weeks. He Tian half expected it any moment, surprised he’d made it this far in one piece.

But neither happens. Instead, he’s hustled to the ship’s kitchens, handed a potato peeler and sat in front of a white gallon bucket of potatoes. The head chef, a brusk short man who yells everything for no reason, puts He Tian to work and immediately regets it when He Tian manages to peel the top layer of skin off his thumb, dripping blood over food. The yelling increases. He Tian notices the man’s incisors are also filed to a point and he wears a startling amount of gold. 

“Pay attention dumass,” the chef yells while patching He Tian’s thumb up tightly, finishing the wrap with a purple disposable food prep glove and tape. He Tian’s hand starts sweating profusely. “Mad is a weird guy but if he’s taken you in, he trusts you. For now. But you have to be able to do something useful,” he looks He Tian over with a quizzical eye “and you don’t look like you’ve ever held a gun.” 

He Tian smiles cheerfully “Not even once. Although I’ve had a few pointed at me for this.” He holds up the chef’s heavy watch. The man huffs, snatches it from He Tian and leans forward. “Cute trick. Try it again and your fancy fingers will be as twisted as these potato peels. Start on that pile of dishes and don’t stop until there’s not a spoon left.”

Reduced to scrubbing dishes, He Tian awaited his fate aboard the Cerberus at the hands of the Mad Dog. 

* * *

It all started off with magic. Not interdimensional swords that made their wielders untouchable. No, the mundane kind. Card tricks and coins. He had a pack of cards ever since he could remember. And that evolved into swiping candy bars from convenience stores. Harmless at first. But he had a talent and where he grew up, talents didn’t go unused. His brother, He Cheng, told him to stop. That only served to fuel He Tian’s penchant. The swindling steadily became more high-stakes. Palming wallets and cell phones, nabbing watches and jewelry and the occasional set of keys to a car or craft. 

Then there were the scams. 

Underground gambling where he cleared out professionals and took home the pot. And that’s when the threats really started. He used most of his stashes of credits to pay off threats. He blew through the rest, leaving only the nest egg he and his brother nurtured in hopes of one day starting a new life, off-world where the real prospects were. 

Too-well known by all the casinos to try a racket again, He Tian finally did what his brother had told him to do for years: work security detail jobs with him and Qiu. It was boring, tedious and surprisingly safe. So it wasn’t hard to slip back into bad habits, which lately, had taken the shape of pilfering from the rich at house parties. And then, well, this job was supposed to be his last big one. Might still be.

Guan Shan listened with narrowed eyes. They were making an orbit of earth in Cerberus, not really going anywhere, simply hanging in space. 

It was just him and Guan Shan in the small office room. Grey waited loyally outside the door. His flat stare had been clear enough. He didn’t trust He Tian in the slightest.

“He Tian. The legendary pickpocket. On my ship.” 

He Tian made a sweeping little bow from his seat. “The one and only.”

“And that’s truly all you know? A man who calls himself “Bone” hires you to steal my wallet?”

“Truely.” He Tian rolled a pair of dice over his fingers. He had won them in a game with the cooks. “I don’t ask questions when I’m given a job. I don’t care what the motivation is, why I’m swiping a key card off a diplomate or a phone from a club owner. The less I know, the better. I just get the job done.” He stopped rolling the dice, closed his fist and opened it again, disappearing the dice into thin air. 

Guan Shan looked unimpressed. Actually, he looked exhausted, bags under his eyes, slumped in his chair, feet kicked up on a coffee table and crossed at the ankles. And most incongruous of all, a blanket was arranged around him. The most powerful kingpin of the underworld had been taking a nap.

“Why did you take the job.”

“I already told you.” 

“But you have heard of me, you  _ do _ know who I am.”

He Tian played along. “Yes, everyone does.”

“And what do they say about me?”

“Fishing for compliments? I thought it was below the Mad Dog to consider what the rabble say.”

Guan Shan scowled but didn’t push further. Instead, he sat up and pulled a rolling tray towards himself, then methodically and delicately, with a practiced hand, rolled a joint. With the end dangling out of his lips, he sparked a lighter, caught the end and breathed deeply. “Do you smoke?”

“No, I’ve never liked the way it makes me feel.”

Guan Shan exhaled through his nose, smoke curling around his face. He considered He Tian for a moment, the weight of his gaze heavy and hot and cold all at the same time. It felt less like an unhinged dog and more like a cat stalking its prey. He Tian suppressed the urge to shiver. The redhead took another deep drag and held his left hand out in front of himself. Then, smooth as the disappeared dice, the katana is there in his hand, solid and shining. The edge reflects so brightly that He Tian has to blink. 

“You know about this.” 

He Tian nods.

Mo Guan Shan takes another deep drag, exhales and sighs, stubbing the join out. The katana lowers and he taps the flat of it against his calf absentmindedly like someone bouncing their foot. “What do they say about me, He Tian.”

He Tian does shiver this time, although Guan Shan pretends not to notice. “You’re the Mad Dog, your fury is unmatched. You kill at the drop of a hat and your Hell Hounds are unendingly loyal. You’re marauders, picking off any ship you stumble across. You never cheat and lie, but you do steal. You take what you want because you  _ can _ . And you can because you have the Knowing. You know what someone is going to do before they do it. You’ve escaped every trap set out for you because you know.” 

Guan Shan stopped tapping the sword against his calf and arched an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

He Tian might not have the knowing, but he knew a trap when he saw one. “That’s all I care to tell you.”

Guan Shan barked out a laugh. His copper eyes, well and truly bloodshot, landed on He Tian. “I like you, pickpocket. You must have been suicidal to try and take my wallet. You knew I would know so either you wanted to die or you’re too numb to care what happens.” He didn’t pause long enough to let He Tian answer. Instead, he was up on his feet, the blanket falling to ground, the katana vanished and the redhead was striding forward. “And now, you need a new job, because you can’t go back without my wallet. You can’t go back at all.”

“No, I can’t.” He Tian sat transfixed as Mo Guan Shan stood over him, straddling his legs and placing a hand on the back of the chair for support while leaning forward, bringing his face within inches of He Tian’s. 

“And you don’t seem to mind my,  _ prolictivities _ .” 

“No, I don’t.” The reek of weed washed over He Tian.

“Then you’ll work for me. I pay well.” A dark sapphire glinted from Guan Shan’s ear, backing up the statement with perfect timing. “And I’ll tell you something,” his voice dropped _sotto voce_ “that no one else knows.” 

He Tian held the gaze and stayed admirably passive even as Guan Shan caressed his cheek, sending a shocking thrill through his body. The touch seemed to have the same impact on Guan Shan. His jaw clenched and his body tensed. And though he was the one who initiated such intimate contact, his body posture screamed out unease. With a shudder, the redhead worked himself past whatever internal battle he was waging. Their eyes met and Guan Shan ran his thumb over He Tian’s lower lip. He Tian felt like he was moments away from being crushed in the man’s palm like an overripe peach.

“I have no knowing for you, He Tian. Nothing. You’re an enigma to me. It’s as though you’re not even in this room with me right now. At the party, when you brushed against me, I half-thought I was hallucinating you. And when we touch, you cut me completely off from my Knowing for everyone. My connection to the sword is blocked and I can’t hear  _ anything _ .” Guan Shan relinquished his hold on He Tian’s face, sucking in a breath as though he’s just been kicked in the stomach. 

“Grey?”

Guan Shan waved his hand in a dismissive manner “He knows you block my Knowing, my connection to the katana when you touch me, but he don’t know the other bit. And we’re not going to tell him because my Dogs of War will never let you be alone with me.” 

The meaning of what Guan Shan had just revealed finally clicked. The thrall broke and He Tian stood, suddenly realizing. “You don’t know what I’m going to do next.” Guan Shan’s eyes narrowed, his scowl deepening, but he didn’t step back even as He Tian looked down at him, his height giving him an advantage in the tight space between the redhead in front of him and the chair digging into his calves. 

“No, I don’t.”

“And this has never happened with anyone else.”

“No, it hasn’t. But you would be an idiot to try anything.” The katana was in his hand, fist clenching and relaxing around the handle. 

“A supreme idiot. Like the one who tried to pickpocket you.” Silence fell and the moment stretched. Copper eyes on slate. 

Wherever the moment was going, they wouldn’t know. Guan Shan’s head snapped to look at a monitor and he cursed. He Tian didn’t see anything but Guan Shan was already heading out through the door and barking orders at Grey, who eyed He Tian coldly as he followed the redhead out into the hallway. A second later, an alarm broke out and there was a flurry of activity. A large ship, larger than their own, loomed outside the windows. He Tian followed after them to the front of Cerberus where the Hell Hounds were settling into their places. He Tian knew Mo Guan Shan was the only clairvoyant, but the Hell Hounds seemed to know from his body posture just what to do, reacting to unseen signals and moving as a pack. It was impressive. 

Mo Guan Shan slung his sword over his shoulder, addressing his crew calmly even as his eyes glinted with something. Something He Tian couldn’t put his finger on. 

“Bring me in close boys. It looks like I’m going for a walk.” Whooping rang out across the group. “They think I’m too tired for another round, but they’re deadly wrong.” More cheering, the sound of which was deep and wild. “Bring me in close so I can show them what they get when they try to steal from the dogs.” The room broke out into howls. 

Bloodlust. That was the glint.

* * *

When Guan Shan made it back onto Cerberus he was covered in blood, swaying and practically spitting at anyone who approached him until he simply collapsed on the gangway. This seemed to be an entirely normal occurrence however. His men scooped him up by the arms and dragged him somewhere to sleep it out. Someone came by with a mop. 

That night, the Hell Hounds reveled, flush with credits and high on their leader’s power. The untouchable Mad Dog himself had been hosed off and was lying, docile as a kitten, in his quarters. He Tian was left to his own devices. He walked past Hell Hounds sprawled over the ship in all shapes of debauchery. Like their master, they seemed to enjoy draping themselves in gauche displays of wealth. It would be easy to fill his pockets with jewels and watches. He passed by without touching a thing. 

Grey, ever loyal, was seated outside the Mad Dog’s door. A bottle of liquor lay empty and a small blonde sat in his lap working on his belt. The pack didn’t seem to have scruples about who saw what. 

Grey narrowed his eyes at the sight of He Tian and patted the blonde, sending them off. “Ever the loyal guard dog, aren’t you?” 

Grey didn’t respond, simply leaning back and adjusting himself. 

“Right. I’ll get to the point so you can get back to,” He Tian motioned at the liquor and rumpled clothes. Outside the ship, cicadas called in the hot summer night air of the thick forests surrounding Atlanta. Everything moved slow here, in the sticky sweat of summer. He thought about his brother, the man with omnipresent bags under his eyes, working night after night after damned night. 

“I want to run with the dogs.”

* * *

They loved his tricks. He Tian could make the dogs howl with delight. And he began to howl with them. Their circuits were lazy, the ship sent aimlessly into the sky, then dropping down to earth to land in the wild spots just outside this or that city. They would shop and wine and dine. He Tian dripped in diamonds of his own, though far less ostentatious than his companions’. 

They took him to the dentist in the backwater of the Ozarks who filed their incisors to points. He Tian ran his tongue over the fresh points feeling more changed than he thought possible. The dentist also pierced noses and lips, ears and nipples and other, more intimate places. He declined the offer. 

The pack swelled and contracted, marauders joining and leaving at will. They could because their leader knew their minds. So they had free reign and in return, Mo Guan Shan kept them flush with everything they wanted. Full bellies and no hint of Bone or the troubles from before. 

But there he was, across the mess hall, copper eyes boring into He Tian, face in a scowl. He Tian extricated himself from the pack watching his tricks with an excuse and headed towards Guan Shan’s quarters. Grey was outside the door. He Tian breezed past him into Guan Shan’s room. As usual, piles of clean and dirty clothes were strewn on the floor. The dresser was cluttered with rings and gold chains, earrings heavy with citrine, garnet and onyx. Sparkling adornments Guan Shan flaunted like a peacock, all with a snarl and a scowl. 

He Tian stripped his shirt off and made himself comfortable in the bed. Guan Shan emerged from the bathroom, sans any accoutrements. He Tian’s eyes fell, as they always did, to the twisted scar on his belly. There was a matching one on his back. He climbed into the bed, pausing for a split second before making the first skin-on-skin contact. Even naked and pressed to He Tian’s side, he was still the Mad Dog. He kept his touches curt and perfunctory. 

The first time he had asked for He Tian, Guan Shan had been coming down from bloodlust, shivering and shaking all over, damp from a shower and radiating anger. He had ordered He Tian into the bed and then climbed in after, boneless and strung out. “Still want to run with the dogs?” he had asked. 

He Tian knew his answer, but he lied anyway. “I don’t know.”

His answer seemed to pass some sort of test and Guan Shan pulled He Tian over him, cursing at the sensation and then falling into a deep sleep.

It was always like that. Easier than tranquilizers or ambien. After too many nights without sleep, the sword whispering revelations he hadn’t asked for in his ear, he would call for He Tian and they would fall asleep together, like a shameful secret. 

* * *

“Get off me.” He Tian heard the snarled words through morning fog. He rolled over and felt Guan Shan’s weight leave the bed. 

“You’re taking me to the house today.” He Tian sighed. He hated the house. He cracked an eye to see Guan Shan placing emerald studs in his ears. His skin was flush and sleep warm and his cock was hard, something that never seemed to bother him. He Tian knew the routine well. He would dig around the room for clean clothes, eat a small brunch, tell He Tian to get ready, and they would leave. He Tian resisted the urge to press a palm to his pleasure. That’s another thing they never talked about, Guan Shan completely ignoring his frequent erections. 

“What, did you have plans?” Guan Shan purred, checking his jewels in the mirror. 

“Of all the places you could go, why there?” 

Guan Shan scooped up a pair of pants, not even bothering with undergarments. “Where else can I have fun like that?” 

_ Fun _ isn’t how He Tian would describe it.

* * *

The “house” was actually a large apartment in the heart of old L.A, where the sun was always too bright and cheery. They rode the elevator to the 15th floor in silence. Guan Shan fidgeted with a ring. When they arrived at the suite, Guan Shan knocked and the door opened a crack. A gruff voice called for Clint. 

He Tian hated Clint. The bald, bulky man appeared at the door. His eyes reminded He Tian of a carp. He grinned lazily at He Tian. “Mutt.”   
  
“Clint.” 

“Sure you don’t want to join us for a round? We’ll even let you have him first. See just how loyal a dog you really are.”

He Tian considered him cooly. “Tell me again how you lost a finger?” 

Clint flushed but kept his wits about him “Still have enough to get the job done.” 

Guan Shan pushed his way into the apartment, unimpressed with their bickering. “Are we doing this or not? I want to be back in time for dinner.” 

The door shut, Clint smirking at He Tian as it closed, and He Tian was left to wait outside. This was the one duty Grey was happy to be rid of. He hated Clint as well, having known him when he was part of the Hell Hounds. Guan Shan made an example out of him, kicking him out for an attempted double-crossing and taking a finger in the process. And Clint hated them all in return, especially the Mad Dog. 

That hate blossomed into pretty bruises across Guan Shan’s skin and the rhythmic slap of flesh, easily heard through the door. He Tian wondered how many there were today. He would stand dutifully at the door, less a guard and more a symbol of control.  _ Sit. Stay. Good boy _ _. _

He Tian sighed and tried to ignore the wet sounds of a cock sliding down a throat. He was beginning to drift into daydreams of his own when his skin prickled with the feeling of being watched. 

“Shit,” A voice He Tian knew well rang out clear and the sounds of sex stopped. He Tian stood alert. 

“What the fuck did you do Clint?” There was a scuffle inside and the whining sound of Clint begging. And it was then that He Tian noticed what had put him on edge. The men were on either side of the hall, walking steadily but silently towards He Tian. The door behind He Tian opened swiftly and He Tian was yanked inside by a familiar hand that was careful to grab only his clothes. “Don’t fucking touch me,” Guan Shan hissed. He Tian glanced around the room. There were five burly men in various states of undress, eyes wide as they stared at the katana in Guan Shan’s hand. Clint was on the couch looking cowered. “I swear I don’t know anything. Someone must have seen you coming here before.” 

Guan Shan cursed. 

The katana would show him every possible outcome as decisions and thoughts shifted around him. And it keyed him up, priming him for violence. There were the telltale signs of growing bloodlust; wild eyes, blown out and darting side to side. His red hair was ruffled from where someone had yanked it and there was spit on his shirt. He Tian wanted to reach out and straighten him up.

“We have to go now.” Guan Shan’s voice was husky “Call Grey, I’ll handle them.” 

Guan Shan pulled the door open and stepped out, crouched, eyes flashing to his targets. There were no words, he simply got to work. He Tian had never seen it up close. The attackers were grim, but trusted their numbers and the tight confines of the hallway to work to their advantage. They didn’t have a chance. 

* * *

The carnage was final. Guan Shan’s clothes were covered in their blood. Just like his sword, he could disappear and reappear, slipping around his opponents in a deadly dance. But it had its cost.

He Tian was at his side, trying to ignore the limbs and guts. “Don’t fucking touch me!” Guan Shan snapped like a wounded animal. He was slumped over his sword, the end of which was stuck into the carpet for support. 

He Tian put his hands up, palms out. “The hounds are on their way. We have to go.” 

Copper eyes flashed. “They weren’t here for me. They were sent to take  _ you _ . There are more out there.” 

He Tian’s heart rate spiked. He looked at the face of a dead man, his mouth hanging open. The tongue lolling out was forked. She Li’s men. “Can you take them?”

Guan Shan huffed “Yes.” 

“Then let’s go.”

Guan Shan manhandled He Tian outside, yanking him by his jacket one direction, then another as someone’s thoughts changed. A bullet whizzed past and Guan Shan shoved He Tian down behind a concrete crash barrier. 

“You fucking idiots! You want him alive!” Guan Shan vaulted the barrier and strode out into the open. A cacophony of action and the sound of bodies hitting the ground. Sirens wailed somewhere in the distance. He Tian was shaking with adrenaline crouched behind the barrier. Right as more men would run up, guns drawn and eyes trained on He Tian, Guan Shan would appear, cutting through them like soft butter. Before He Tian could catch up with the next move, he would feel strong hands yanking him up by the scruff of his collar. Guan Shan trembled, teeth gritted hard. 

“That fucking snake.” He spat blood, this time He Tian was pretty sure it was his own. “He’s close. Coward wants to tire me out.” He shoved He Tian forward into a sidestreet. Traffic had cleared out, everyone around them fleeing or filming from the safety of a highrise. 

“The Hell Hounds are almost here.”

Guan Shan growled. “He’s too far away for me to get a good read. I don’t know what he’s doing.” 

There were a few potshots behind them. Guan Shan hurried them along, pushing them to the rendezvous point, to the safety of the Hell Hounds flying in on small darting aircrafts. He Tian almost sighed at the sight of the dogs. Guan Shan released his hold on He Tian’s jacket. “Go to them. I’ll hold this down.”

“Guan Shan, you’re tired, let Grey hold down the retreat.” 

The redhead’s eyes narrowed, he was facing off She Li’s men, his back to the upcoming dogs. “I’m not even close to done. Go to them. The snakes don’t want me anyways.” 

The thought flashed through his mind. Just a simple touch, just enough to take away the connection and force Guan Shan to retreat with him. But before he could reach out, Guan Shan’s head snapped to the left. He snarled, the pretty gold piercing under his upper lip red with blood. 

“Mo Guan Shan,” A clear and cold voice rang out. “Just the dog I wanted to see today.” The first thing He Tian noticed about She Li was the shock of white hare. The second was the sickly yellow color of his eyes. The third was the katana in his hands, a perfect mirror of Guan Shan’s. He shivered. The yellow eyes landed on his own. 

Guan Shan moved in front of He Tian, about to snap something back when he froze and whispered. “Get into the ship. Get out of here. Leave with the dogs.” 

He Tian couldn’t move from the spot. She Li was still staring at him, smiling. He raised his voice to be heard across the distance of the street. “Hello, He Tian. How has our Little Mo been?” 

A thousand unbidden thoughts came to He Tian’s mind. 

She Li laughed, the sound full of mirth. “Oh this is better than I could have hoped!” 

“He Tian.” Guan Shan’s voice shook, pleading.

“They don’t know about him,” She Li smirked. 

The Hell Hounds were on the ground now, squared off with the serpents. Everything was at a standstill. The busy streets were silent. 

Guan Shan growled, stepping forward. He Tian was still glued to the spot, entranced by those sickly yellow eyes. “They have nothing to do with this. Send your men off. We can do this dance if you want to.” 

“Oh, I think this has everything to do with them. Your marauding hounds. Ever loyal. Tell me He Tian, what is it like to be in love with someone who treats you no better than a loyal pet?” He Tian flushed with shame but didn’t break away from the gaze. 

“But don’t worry, he’s fallen for you too.” Guan Shan was very still in front of him. “Do you want to know what he thinks about when Clint has him bent over the coffee table? It’s quite instructive.” He Tian’s pulse fluttered in his throat. He suddenly wished he had a gun. 

She Li smirked, reading his thoughts. His yellow gaze finally shifted. “And poor Grey. Poor loyal Grey.” 

The gaze gone, He Tian regained some of his wits. He whispered “We have to go.” 

Guan Shan shook his head “You have to go without me. I know what he’s going to do. You have to leave.”

She Li turned back to Guan Shan “You really do inspire something in your men, half of them are like lovesick puppies, the other half want to fuck you. But of course, you know that. You know all about long suffering Grey, he’s tried to move on so many times. And he knows that you keep him by his side even though you don’t love him back. He’s never hidden it from you, how could he? But you’ve been hiding something from him.

“You’re unusually quiet, Mad Dog. Yes, you know I won’t fight you, we’ve done that dance before, it’s exhausting, watching all of the moves happen until we’re both blacked out on the concrete.

“No, I’m not going to fight you, I just wanted to pick up my mole and see what you’ve told him because he’s not silent for me. Unlike you, I can hear his thoughts loud and clear as a bell.” 

A ripple of shock went through the dogs, eyes darting in confusion from their unmoving master to the white-haired snake. 

The snake continued. “You assumed he would have the same effect on me. He doesn’t.” 

Guan Shan was impassive, his snap and snarl vanished. “What do you want, She Li?” Of course, he knew. The sound of sirens was beginning to surround them.

“It’s time for us to depart. We’ll meet again, won’t we Mo Guan Shan?”

“And He Tian?” Those sickly yellow eyes were on him again. His stomach curdled. “It was lovely meeting you.” 

* * *

The deck of Cerberus was reassuring beneath He Tian’s feet. They had made it back without event, but the dogs were hungry. Guan Shan swayed in He Tian’s arms, barely able to stand, all energy leaving as soon as the threat was gone. He Tian adjusted his grip. Grey followed close on their heels. “I have us on course for a safe house.” He stopped at the threshold of Guan Shan’s room. “I’ll keep the dogs in check. Get him fixed up, they won’t stay calm for long.” He Tian nodded and the door closed behind him. 

The air in the room felt different from that morning. But He Tian was familiar with this. Familiar with how to handle Guan Shan after he pushed himself too hard. He deposited the redhead on a chair and left to turn on the shower. The sound of rushing water filled the room followed by a crash and the tinkling of shattered glass.

This was something He Tian was also familiar with. Jewelry was scattered everywhere. Mirror shards fell from the dresser and Guan Shan’s phone sat cracked in the middle of the mess. The redhead curled up in the chair seething and spent, coming down from bloodlust and crashing hard. 

Wordlessly, He Tian pulled him up and peeled off soiled clothes and jewelry, unhooking bracelets flecked with blood and necklaces. He slipped off the backs of heavy earrings letting it all drop to the floor. Each layer felt like peeling back a bit of the person before him. They showered in gentle silence, the ship rocking beneath them. 

Clean of blood and grim, He Tian turned the water off and toweled Guan Shan down, careful to stay perfunctory and distant. The redhead still hadn’t said a word, but that wasn’t so unusual. He maneuvered him to the large bed and turned to dress and leave. 

“Touch me.” 

He Tian’s chest constricted. He wanted to, gods he wanted to. But he  _ knows _ , knows what he’ll do, what boundaries he’ll cross, where he’ll go. 

“I don’t want to hear what they’re thinking. Touch me.” 

He can’t deny him that, at least for a little while. He Tian crossed to the bed, settling on top of the covers, and placing a hand on Guan Shan’s arm. The thrill of the touch lit him up, like it always does, before settling to low thrum.

“Why are you fucking around?” Guan Shan growled, “I said  _ touch me _ .” 

“I don’t think–” He Tian doesn’t get the words out. With startling strength, Guan Shan pulled He Tian on top of him and pressed a thigh between his legs. He Tian suppressed a moan. 

“How long.”

“Have I had an erection?” 

Guan Shan huffed out a clipped laugh. “That silver tongue of yours. I always hated it, from the first day I brought you here.” 

The thigh rubbing between He Tian’s legs is supremely distracting. 

“How long have you, felt things. About me.” The words were awkward and stilted. He Tian felt a sudden burst of fondness. 

“Does it matter?” 

Guan Shan growled, exasperated. “Yes. How long?”

“I don’t know,” He Tian answered truthfully. “Do you?”

Guan Shan looked to the side. His eyelashes looked long and pretty and He Tian wondered what it would feel like to kiss each eyelid in turn. “No.” 

“Were you hoping I would leave you?” 

Guan Shan didn't answer for a moment, then gritted out “Yes.” He sat up, pushing He Tian back so he’s sitting on his heels. Breath ghosted on He Tian’s neck, followed by soft lips. He Tian shivered and closed his eyes. Between kisses and swipes of his tongue, Guan Shan talked. 

“I accepted myself a long time ago and I didn’t need anyone else to. We all have ugly thoughts, I just hear them.” He moved lower, working his way down He Tian’s chest. “But I couldn’t hear you and that was - is - more difficult than knowing the ugly thoughts.” His hands moved sinfully even while he whispered soft confessions into He Tian’s skin. 

He continued down until he was at his goal. He Tian bucked when soft lips and a warm tongue sucked him down. “ _ Fuck _ , Guan Shan.”

He worked to a lazy rhythm, not taking the act to any sort of climax. He Tian shuddered, burning for more, resisting the urge to thrust. The slow teasing drags out and just as pleasure was beginning to crest, Guan Shan lifts his head. “Will you touch me now?”

“ _ Yes _ .”

Guan Shan tossed a bottle of lube to He Tian and leaned back, all skin and shivering muscles. He Tian, happy to have something to focus on besides the unbearable pressure building in his cock, coated his fingers and slowly worked his way in Guan Shan, watching him arch with a pretty gasp. 

A little lean in and lips clashed. Guan Shan moaned at the contact and then it was his turn to let out a small and breathy  _ fuck _ . 

He Tian worked until Guan Shan was writhing, hard and leaking. “ _ He Tian _ ” spoken like a plea and prayer. The sound of his name on those lips sent cascading prickles of ecstasy. He continued to work slow. 

“Yes?” 

“Fucking  _ fuck me _ already.” 

“You seem to be enjoying this plenty.” 

Guan Shan opened his mouth to respond and He Tian cocked a finger just so, releasing quite a pretty shock of pure pleasure, sending thighs to trembling and fingers to curling against the sheets. 

“Were you going to say something?” 

“Fucking shut up. Please. I’ll beg if I have to. I can’t take much more of this, I’m so close but I want you, He Tian. Please.”

He Tian wasn’t one to deny pleas. He slipped his fingers out and Guan Shan whimpered. A slick slide between beautiful thighs, lined up and teasing, he paused just short of what they both anticipate. 

“This is what you want?” 

“Yes, assho–” Guan Shan didn’t finish his sentence, instead, he scrabbled for purchase as He Tian slid in, slow and easy. It starts as easy, fluid fucks until Guan Shan is begging again for more,  _ more He Tian.  _

Soon they were both panting. They worked up to a brutal pace, toes curling in the sheets, hands fisted around the bars of the headboard. He Tian looked him over, liking the way he arches, liking the taste of salty-sweat skin, liking the way pleasure looks on him, liking that he isn’t afraid to moan and curse, isn’t afraid to pull He Tian down for a filthy kiss. 

“Shit, He Tian.” Guan Shan was all breathy words.”Fuck, I’m, please, I’m, I need–” He Tian ran his hand over Guan Shan’s cock, slick with pre-cum and sweat, and the sound at the touch is pure bliss. The sight of spend painting his stomach and chest was the last piece to push He Tian over the edge. 

They slowed, curling around each other, a mess of cooling bodies tangled in the sheets.

* * *

“My mom always said everyone has the knowing, we just forget how to tap into it. I didn’t pay as much attention to her as I should have. I was 15 when I tried to bond with the sword. My great-grandfather was the last one to use the damn thing. My family knew it wasn’t worth it. But my dad was headed to jail, my mom was on the run, our organization was falling apart. So I did what I had to.” 

They were floating in space, the ship having slowed down to cruise smoothly through a clump of meteors, a favorite hiding spot for any ship needing a spot to lay low. He Tian nestled further against Guan Shan, enjoying his scent, his body warm and soft, his long limbs and sweet voice, which could range anywhere between gravely or bell clear. 

He Tian ran his hand over the scar on Guan Shan’s belly. “I’m sorry you had to take on so much, so young.”

Guan Shan waved his hand, shrugging it all off. “The first week was the worst. It’s not easy to suddenly share your mind with someone else. And then it was telling me  _ everything _ .”  He snorted, “I learned a lot that first week.

“Grey was there for me through the worst of it, he worked for my family even before the sword. I owe him an unpayable debt.

Guan Shan paused, biting his lip. “I do, I do love him, but it’s, it’s not like the way I feel with you.” 

Silence fell over the room and He Tian let it stretch.  _ Let him talk through it. I can do that.  _

“But my mom, my mom was right. I just forgot it until I met you. I couldn’t read you and I thought I couldn’t know anything about you. But,” Guan Shan rolled so he was facing He Tian, “I think I know enough.” 

The Mad Dog, soft and sweet, leaned in for a kiss. 

Guan Shan broke the kiss before it could move beyond chaste, move into where they both wanted it to lead. He scooted back, outside of the safe cocoon of He Tian’s touch and shuddered as he was flooded with thoughts and possibilities. The lights came on and He Tian groaned. 

“Get up lazy, get dressed. We have to confront the hounds.” A pair of pants smacked He Tian in the face and he groaned again. 

* * *

Opening the door was like popping a bubble. The atmosphere was tense. Hell Hounds were glaring at Grey, Grey was holding his ground. They all startled when the door opened. Guan Shan strode out, bright even without his signature jewels. He Tian walked out behind him and the temperature seemed to drop, dogs practically growling. Before anyone could say anything, Guan Shan took command. 

“We’ve had some revelations that need addressing.” His voice rang out clear. “I can hear your mutinous thoughts. So let’s lay it all bare. Land at the crater! And I’ll pay you all an eye for an eye.”

* * *

The crater was nothing more than a pit in Oklahoma. Bare fields stretched out in all directions. The ship landed easily and the dogs dismounted whooping into the emptiness. He Tian could smell rain. They were a good eight hour drive from Houston, he could hitchhike back once they left him. He could be a pickpocket again. Although who was he kidding, he’d be in the jaws of the serpent as soon as the dogs left him.

It was clear the dogs didn’t have a single goal in mind. Some were angry, some were excited by the energy, others were cautiously watching, waiting for favor to slide one way or another. But they all fell into step behind Guan Shan. He was their leader. He Tian found himself falling into step closely behind. 

“Grey, do you still have control of the pack?” Guan Shan’s voice was low. 

Grey nodded. “Yes. Barely. They want a finger. One of He Tian’s. They know they can’t demand one from you, not without, well, making it a little hard for you to hold a sword.” 

Guan Shan smiled wolfishly. “I figured as much. They want you out of the pack, pup.” 

Before He Tian could respond, Guan Shan turned, bowing deeply for his crowd of confused and angry dogs.

“Dogs! Hell Hounds, feared pack. You trust me because you have to. I know you, every thought that crosses your crass little minds. I never judge you for it. We’ve all thought about my death, among other things.” 

There’s a low-grade growl working over the crowd of dogs. But they listen.

“But it only works if I know all of your thoughts. Or at least that’s what you feel. Well it might come as a shock to you but I don’t listen in to every little thought that crosses all of your minds. Still, having an accidental mole in our midst is problematic.” 

The wind picks up. The sky is the greenish tint of a large summer storm. 

“Some of you penice, most of you want him out of the pack. But it wasn’t him who failed to see. It was me. But I plan to fix that. So here’s how we’re going to fix this. Find a man named Bone and find out how he knew about He Tian.”

Guan Shan looked up at the sky, flashes of lightning signaling the imminent storm. “I’m going to take a walk.” And then he was gone, vanished into thin air.

**Author's Note:**

> You made it! Hello! This is near the end, so the next chapter will be MUCH shorter. If you're wondering "what was that?" don't worry, I'm wondering the same thing! Second chapter coming next weekend.


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